Archive for the ‘Funeral’ Category

The brutality of abortion continues even after a child is ripped from the womb.

Bodies of aborted babies are disposed with medical waste and incinerated. Sometimes they are dumped into trash bins or fields. In one infamous case in California, the bodies of 16,443 aborted babies were found in a locked storage container outside a private home. A three-year court battle led by the American Civil Liberties Union ensued to prevent the babies from being granted the dignity of a proper burial. Eventually, they were laid to rest with the respect they deserved.

Similar scenarios, in smaller but still shocking numbers, have taken place across the nation in the 40 years since Roe v. Wade made the murder of the unborn a legal right. On Sept. 14, memorials will take place at gravesites of aborted children all over the country to grieve what we, as a nation, have lost, and to pray for the souls of these most innocent crime victims. Three organizations dedicated to ending abortion are organizing the memorials: Citizens for the Pro-Life Society, Priests for Life and Pro-Life Action League.

“Since 1973 over 50 million unborn children have been killed and only a small fraction of these victims were humanely buried because pro-lifers took them from the trash,” said Monica Migliorino Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society. “These graves puncture the landscape and are a tragic and visible reminder that we must end the injustice of abortion. Memorial services, right at the graves of the victims, will be a powerful public witness to our nation that abortion truly kills innocent human beings, and serve as a call for justice, healing and forgiveness.”

The website AbortionMemorials.com has been established for the Sept. 14 services. There, visitors will find the heart-breaking details of many of the burials that have taken place over the decades and information on planned services. Some sites still need someone to step forward to organize a service, and those willing can find the information they need to get started.

“It’s sobering to realize that grave markers for the unborn victims of abortion list only a date of burial,” said Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League. “They have no birthdays because they were never allowed to be born. We can list no date of death, because those who killed them discarded their bodies like garbage. But they are not garbage to us. They are our brothers and sisters. That’s why we buried them, and that’s why we visit their graves to mourn for them and testify to their humanity.”

The inhumane treatment of the victims of abortion is not something that just happened in the past. Right now in Philadelphia, the Medical Examiner’s office is refusing to allow a proper burial for babies killed – many outside the womb – by the now-imprisoned abortionist Kermit Gosnell. Priests for Life has named these babies and has requested permission to bury them, but the Medical Examiner insists the babies will be cremated, privately and unmourned.

“In the light of the trial and conviction of Kermit Gosnell and the passage by the U.S. House of Representatives, and various states, of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the reality of late-term abortion has been brought into clearer focus for the American public,” said Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life. “Awareness of that reality leads to a logical question: What is done with the bodies?

“The National Day of Remembrance builds on that question and strengthens that awareness, creating a focal point for our grief, both national and personal, and for the education of future generations. These services also will provide opportunities for an urgent call to healing after abortion for the women who have suffered from this terrible choice and the extended families left wounded in its wake.”

Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.

“Our Priests for Life team learned with sadness yesterday of the passing of Judge William P. Clark, Jr. This was a man who served our nation constantly, whether in the key positions he held in President Ronald Reagan’s cabinet, or in the countless ways in which, behind the scenes, he defended the very principles on which the nation was founded.

“He was a great friend of Priests for Life and especially of our administrative team. We got to know him in the late 1990’s and he invited us frequently to his ranch. He opened his property in Shandon, and the beautiful chapel he built on it (“Chapel Hill”), to the pro-life movement, and several times a year we hosted private retreats there for national pro-life leaders. These retreats built up the unity of the movement and enabled leaders to come together in confidential settings to build up relationships of trust, which led to fruitful collaboration. We look forward to the continuation of these retreats.

“Judge Clark served as national security adviser. But along with his role in that position under President Reagan, he fought for our nation’s security by fighting for the right to life, on which all other rights and security depend. He understood the priority of this issue, and lent his advice, encouragement, and personal involvement to the initiatives that we in the pro-life leadership would undertake.

“He and his wife Joan made a public profession of promises as a Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, which is the pro-life spirituality program of Priests for Life.

“It will be my honor, along with our Executive Director, Janet Morana, and our Vice-Chairman, Anthony DeStefano, to represent so many of our colleagues in the pro-life movement as we participate in the funeral on Wednesday of our great friend and national hero, Judge William Clark.”

ROCHESTER, NY – Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, is presiding here this morning over a memorial service for an aborted baby. Joining pro-life leaders from around the nation associated with Operation Save America, Fr. Pavone will preach at the service this morning. His message, in part, will be as follows:

“We are holding this service in full view of the public. We are not ashamed of our youngest brothers and sisters, who continue to be brutalized by abortion. We are committed to showing the world the violent atrocity of abortion.

“Here in New York, we are committed to showing this atrocity to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who seems to want more abortion, not less. We are grateful that his recent effort to expand abortion in New York was stopped. But that is not enough. We call on him to admit what abortion is and to call for an end to this violence against the youngest children. We need public servants who can tell the difference between serving the public and killing the public.”

The child being buried was killed at about 14 weeks of development by prostaglandin abortion, which induces violent contractions. On the intact body can be seen the black bruises caused by these contractions. Participants in the service will be able to view the baby as they pray.

Fr. Pavone said, “Participating in a funeral for an aborted child is one of the most powerful ways to connect with the reality of these children, and the reality of abortion that killed them. That is why, on September 14, we will co-sponsor a national event in which memorial services will be held simultaneously at about 30 sites nationwide where aborted children are buried. See www.AbortionMemorials.com for details.”

Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.

Philadelphia, PA — In anticipation of the public prayer vigil that Priests for Life will hold in front of the Medical Examiner’s office tomorrow morning, a letter is being sent this morning to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner by an attorney representing the Alliance Defending Freedom. The letter, sent at the request of Priests for Life and other leaders who have joined this effort, demands that the Medical Examiner’s office tell the public what is being done with the bodies of the children discovered in Kermit Gosnell’s clinic, and that the Medical Examiner release the bodies for a proper burial.

“We have made our request very public over the last few months; now we want public answers,” explained Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, who had a widely-publicized service in May during which the babies were given names. “We intend to have a public funeral for these babies, and thousands of people have likewise expressed to the Medical Examiner their desire to see this happen. And they do not understand the reason for the delay.”

The letter from Alliance Defending Freedom states in part,

“[T]he public must be told where the bodies currently are. This is particularly relevant where the unclaimed victims are related to such a public, notorious criminal prosecution, followed closely by the media in all respects….

“Proper burial is the right thing to do, for the human dignity of the babies themselves, for the healing of post-abortive women, and for the future and conscience of Philadelphia and the nation….This is what a civilized society does with its dead.”

The letter has been sent also on behalf of the ministries that Priests for Life operates for the healing of those who have experienced abortion, that is, Rachel’s Vineyard and the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. The letter goes on to state,

“Post-abortive women are often left with intense, unresolved grief even decades after their abortion. Just as anyone who has experienced a pregnancy loss, what little comfort is available often comes in the form of a memorial. Memorials following pregnancy loss are supported by the Obama Administration, the Mayo Clinic, and the March of Dimes, among others. Whole ministries are devoted to providing post-abortive women, men, and families with the memorial – and healing – they never had, and affirming their grief; these include Signatories Silent No More Awareness and Rachel’s Vineyard.”

Tomorrow morning (Friday, July 19), a prayer vigil will be held in front of the Medical Examiner’s office at 321 University Ave from 10 to 11am Eastern Time. The public is invited to participate. Connect with the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/566133280094581/. For additional information, and to pray in union with this event, see www.GosnellBabies.com.

Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued the following statement today regarding a prayer vigil planned for 10 a.m. Friday, July 19, outside the office of Philadelphia Medical Examiner Dr. Sam Gulino:

“In the 2010 raid of the abortion clinic of Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia, the remains of some 45 babies were found in jars, milk cartons, and other containers throughout the clinic and in the freezer. It is bad enough that these children were killed, whether in the womb or outside the womb. But their bodies have still not been buried, despite the offer of Priests for Life to conduct proper funeral services and burials, and the assistance likewise offered by funeral homes and other interested persons from around the nation.

“The babies are currently still in the possession of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner. As a reminder of their humanity, and as a sign of our solidarity with them, Priests for Life is holding a prayer service on Friday, July 19, from 10 to 11 a.m. in front of the building where they are being kept, at 321 University Ave., Philadelphia. If the Medical Examiner will not bring these babies to us, then we will go to them.

“Our Youth Director, Bryan Kemper, and our Pastoral Associate Kevin Burke, who works in the outreach of our Silent No More Awareness Campaign and of Rachel’s Vineyard, will assist in leading the service, in conjunction with our friend and colleague, Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition. We invite all people of good will to join us.

“The purpose of this prayer service is to commend these babies, their families, and those who killed them, to the love and mercy of Almighty God, in whose hands are the lives of us all. We seek to continue to shed light on the fact that these children are our brothers and sisters, and that their bodies are sacred and must be reverenced. We have already given them names, and we will hold a major national funeral service at some point in the near future.

“We seek, likewise, to shed light on the violence of abortion, which killed these children. The killing of a child is equally wrong whether it is carried out inside the womb or outside the womb. It is the violence itself that must end; the place where it occurs is secondary.

“We also use this opportunity to extend an urgent invitation to healing for all those who have been involved in abortion. We who reject abortion do not reject those who have had abortions; rather, we embrace them with compassion and love. Nor do we reject those who work or have worked in the abortion industry. They, too, need healing and compassion, which we provide through our work with the Society of Centurions, a program of healing and outreach for former abortionists and clinic staff.

ROME — Speaking from Rome, where he will be concelebrating Mass this weekend with Pope Francis for the Day of Life, Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, responded to the news from the Philadelphia Medical Examiner that the bodies of the Gosnell babies will be cremated and then buried in the same way that they treat any unclaimed bodies.

“There is no need for the Medical Examiner to have some hidden, secret burial as if we are to be ashamed of these babies. These babies are not unclaimed,” Fr. Pavone declared, “They are claimed and have been named by us, because they are our brothers and sisters. We will therefore have a national funeral service for these babies, even without the bodies. We will involve the entire pro-life movement and all people of good will, and more information will be announced shortly. Moreover, we want to know exactly where the remains of these children will be placed.”

Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.

When Father Frank Pavone spoke with the officials regarding providing a compassionate burial for the 45 bodies of babies aborted at Kermit Gosnell’s House of Horrors, the world was listening. All across America, reports of support and agreement for Father Frank’s request are resonating.

My radio co-host Emmanuel Boose called me during the sentencing and said that “we should give these babies a proper burial.” When I told him what Priests for Life is doing to help make that happen, he immediately marshaled an alert to the communities in agreement.

This week, I spoke with Congressman Trent Franks, author of PreNDA legislation and the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. He too has great compassion for all babies, born and preborn, as is evidenced in his bold and courageous to advance legislation that promises to protect babies and their mothers.

Please join us by contacting your congressional leaders and ask them to urge the officials in Philadelphia to release the bodies for burial. During the trial, the prosecutor pointed out that even miscarried babies are given the dignity of burial. The aborted victims deserve the same compassion.

STATEN ISLAND, NY — Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued a statement today in regard to the 45 babies whose mangled bodies were retrieved during a 2010 raid on the abortion clinic of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who is now serving multiple life sentences for the murder of three of those children. The bodies of the 45 children have been in the possession of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner during the course of the various legal proceedings against Dr. Gosnell.

“In April, we requested permission from the Philadelphia Medical Examiner to bury these children,” Fr. Pavone stated. “The nation was stunned to learn how Dr. Gosnell killed these children, and then stored their bodies in cat food containers and freezers. Now we have an opportunity to treat them better, by at least honoring their bodies with a proper funeral and burial.”

Fr. Pavone’s request for the bodies received wide publicity as the trial entered its final weeks. As the jury deliberated, Priests for Life held a service in which these 45 children were given names.

Now, however, through a letter from the Medical Examiner, Priests for Life is being told that the bodies “will not be released to any third party organization.”

“People across the country are now asking why. Pro-life as well as pro-choice people, citizens and their political leaders, and even relatives of the babies, want to know why we cannot give these children a proper burial,” Fr. Pavone explained. “And, of course, the other big question is, What is the state going to do with these babies? Will they be thrown in the garbage as medical waste? Will they be burned?”

Priests for Life has asked the public to direct these questions to the Medical Examiner’s office in Philadelphia, and is appealing to state and federal officials to intervene. “If there was so much outrage over how Dr. Gosnell treated these children, shouldn’t there be outrage as to how the rest of us treat them now?”

Priests for Life intends to hold a national funeral service for the Gosnell babies, whether or not the bodies can be obtained. “This is the least we can do, given the humanity of these children and the inhumanity with which they were treated,” Fr. Pavone said. “People were rightly upset by the Gosnell case; this will be a way to bring some closure to the experience and let the healing begin.”

STATEN ISLAND, NY — Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued the following statement about a funeral service planned for tomorrow for an aborted baby.

“On Friday morning, July 27, I will stand proudly with my brothers and sisters of Operation Save America to honor the body of an aborted child for whom we will offer a memorial service in which the public will have an opportunity to participate. We have also arranged for the burial of the child.

“It is not often that we have the bodies of aborted babies. Unfortunately, the act by which their lives are dishonored and their bodies dismembered takes those bodies and discards them with the medical waste.

“But once in a while, we are able to retrieve these bodies. When we do so, we give them the honor that others have denied them. The act of violence that killed them is done in secret; we believe that the act of reparation that honors them should be done in public. The cold-hearted killing was done in darkness; the broken-hearted mourning should be done in the bright light of day.

“We will have an open casket at this memorial service so that people can see the bruised body of this baby. The body is intact, having been killed by prostaglandin abortion, which induces violent contractions that bruise and ultimately kill the child. Seeing the child awakens the conscience to the fact that abortion kills real people, and must be put to an end without further delay.”

This service will occur Friday, July 27, in Charlotte, NC at the intersection of Trade and Tryon at 10 a.m. ET.

Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit Priests for Life.